The light was coming into my bedroom far too early. I grunted, closing my eyes again as I tried to sink back into the warmth of the bed. The small part of me that was actually awake knew I had to get up for work soon. But the rest of me, the parts that had survived an attack last night, just wanted to stay safe in my bed forever. Bed had my pillow, my blanket, and my Gretel. Work involved leaving all of that behind. So no thanks.

Eventually, I managed to roll out of bed when my third alarm sounded. Eyes still mostly closed, I staggered to the shower and tried to come back to life as I stood under the blistering spray. At first, all it did was make me want to go back to sleep. But as I scrubbed myself with Gretel’s body wash, the apple one that always made me think of her, I started feeling a little more human again. By the time I got out and found my towel hanging on the back of the door, I was ready to start the day.

The wedding was this morning, basically as soon as my shift started. And either the entire hotel was going up in flames or the sea would swallow us from ten blocks away. Regardless of what horrors awaited, they were beyond my pay grade. But that didn’t mean I didn’t have to be there to watch it all unfold and also make sure there were enough hors d’oeuvres to go around.

Gretel was still asleep as I buttoned my work shirt and pulled my hair back. She looked so peaceful laying there in the pool of sunlight coming in our small bedroom window. As I approached the bed to kiss her goodbye, she stirred, opened her eyes, and smiled at me.

“Hey,” she murmured.

“Hey, beautiful,” I said with a smile.

Gretel sat up and stretched. “You leaving?” she asked, mid-yawn.

“Yeah,” I said, running a hand through her hair. “Got a wedding with a reluctant, yet determined and highly flammable bride to supervise. I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’ll be here.”

Gretel craned her neck to kiss me as I leaned in closer. Her mouth met mine, and I sighed contentedly, feeling her smile against me. I moved to deepen the kiss, but she broke it off, then kissed me on the tip of my nose.

“You have work,” she reminded me.

I groaned, then kissed her on the forehead and walked out of the bedroom. The guest room door was closed, and I assumed Joel had stayed in there for the night. He’d probably be gone by the time I got home, off on whatever his next magical adventure might be. Was I actually going to miss him? Apparently, if the little knot of sadness I felt was any indicator.

My car keys were still on the counter where I left them last night before everything had happened. I grabbed them, then went into the living room to scoop up my purse. If it weren’t for the bloodstains on the couch, this could be a totally normal workday. And once I walked out the door, I’d have to pretend it was, no matter what had happened last night or what happened in the future. But I was actually alright with that. Even if it seemed like magic was making a more permanent home in my life yet again, this was the part that I’d built for myself. So if it meant prioritizing what was sure to be a disaster of a wedding, then so be it.

I took a deep breath, taking in the room through fresh eyes. Maybe things weren’t completely over, but I had this life and it wasn’t going anywhere. So for now, my only problem was making sure my workplace was still upright at the end of the day.

***

Despite my misgivings, the conference room actually came out rather lovely for the wedding. Cherise’s bridal party had spent the night at the Landmark and a few of them came down early, just to make sure everything was in place. This had led to a last-minute run for a few extra table toppers that were now splashed colorfully over the white tablecloths. And between the elegant curtains, the flowers that arrived perfectly on time, and the fine touches I never would have considered if I was in charge, it was a beautiful space.

The crowd was small, maybe thirty or so people sitting at tables on either side of the makeshift aisle, which was elegantly marked and cleared. A violinist was standing in the back, playing a medley of songs as people filed in and took their seats. I stood off to the side with Angie, watching to make sure everything was going smoothly.

“We’re taking bets on what breaks today,” Angie whispered in my ear as two old women discreetly argued over a chair at the end of one row. “Patrick’s betting the whole place goes up in flames, but I’m hopeful it’ll only be the conference room.”

I shuddered. “God, don’t even,” I said. “I had a bad enough night last night without anything going wrong here.”

Angie was clearly about to ask for more details, but then the door opened and Reg came in with his first cart of finger food for the guests to eat after the ceremony as they waited for the bride and groom. He wheeled the cart toward me and Angie, then surprised me as he swept me into a bone-crunching hug.

“I’m glad you’re alright, sweetheart,” he said hoarsely as I gasped for breath in his grip. “Ma knew something was going on, but it wasn’t until your girlfriend called this morning that we had any details. But don’t worry, we’ll all be on the lookout if this creep comes back.”

I hugged him back, gratitude outweighing any unease I might have still felt. Gretel was still the amazing, brilliant woman I’d fallen in love with. And despite everything that had happened, seeing Joel again had offered me an unexpected closure. I didn’t feel the need to impress him, or to overcompensate for myself because I didn’t have any powers. If he pulled moves like he did the other night when he stopped me from leaving my house, that wasn’t a problem with me, it was a problem with him. And yes, I’d take a shovel to his face if he tried it again and I was pretty sure he knew it.

Reg let me go and Angie looked at us both, concern visible in her gray eyes. “It’s fine,” I said. “We had some problems at the house last night, but it’s all taken care of.”

“Was this from your…” She glanced at Reg, then back at me. “From your previous issues?”

I appreciated the discretion, not that I could ever hide anything from Reg. Or more accurately, his Ma. “No,” I said, lowering my voice as I glanced at the crowd. “Well, yeah, I guess. It’s, um, we got attacked by someone looking for my ex. It’s fine though, I swear.”

“You should have told me,” Angie said, horrified. “You shouldn’t have come in after that.”

I shrugged. “What, and miss this?”

Angie’s response was interrupted as the audience rose to their feet. The violinist stopped midway through his song and started playing “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” as the conference room door opened. The three of us turned to watch from our spot a few feet away. Cherise stood there in a stunning white dress that floated around her like something out of a fairytale. She walked alone, though her bridal party was visible in the space behind her. Beyond them, I could see people checking into the hotel, going through their normal days that this beautiful woman wasn’t a part of.

I glanced at the front of the aisle, where Nicholas was standing, watching her expectantly. He didn’t seem emotional as he stood there. If anything, he looked slightly impatient. It was weird, maybe it was just his personality and I was being overly judgmental. But as he looked at his bride, I could see that he seemed to view all of this as a chore. This was not the look of a man watching the love of his life walk down the aisle toward him.

Cherise began walking slowly, the dress drifting behind her like a cloud. She carried a bouquet of pink roses she held in a death grip as she walked. Once she was a few steps into the room, the bridal party began walking as well, the procession making their way up toward where the pink and white antique curtain hid our dull work equipment.

Cherise was about halfway there when she stopped short, her dress still drifting almost unnaturally behind her. The next two women nearly walked into her, catching themselves just in time. As I watched Cherise standing there, I braced myself for whatever was going to come next. Patrick was probably right, this whole place was going up in flames. The emergency exits were clearly marked, but we’d still need to hurry to get everyone out when the flames, or indoor storm, or hoards of bats descended on us all.

But instead, Cherise spun around, facing the exit. She stayed there for a second, that green sheen I’d seen sparkling in her eyes at our first meeting back. And then she began to run, the dress fluttering behind her as she dodged the women in her bridal party. She paused just long enough at the end of the procession to kiss her mother on the cheek, then she ran toward the door. As she did so, she turned, caught my eye, and smiled.

And then a wall of flowers erupted from her bouquet, pink roses creating an enormous barrier between the congregation and the bride as she left. The fragrant blossoms filled the space, while the stems and thorns intertwined to create a dense wall that hid Cherise from sight. All the men up front hurried toward this wall except for the groom. Nicholas stayed where he was, watching what had happened as though it were something mildly interesting on TV. As everyone else erupted into chaos, I turned and saw the train of Cherise’s dress fluttering in the main entrance through the conference room window. And then she was gone.

---

Continue to Chapter 18